On Mother’s Day, I’m looking to brunch somewhere that’s relaxed but that still feels a little special (no crazy-expensive set menus allowed). If you’re looking for something similar when the holiday rolls around on Sunday, May 10, consider these spots:
A&J
4316 Markham St., Annandale; 1319 Rockville Pike, Rockville
These zero-frills, no-reservations, no-carts dim sum houses put out terrific Northern Chinese daytime feasts. The noodles, dumplings, and buns are top-notch, and everything is so affordable you can order with abandon.
Aventino
4747 Bethesda Ave., Bethesda
At this downtown Bethesda hit from the team behind the Red Hen, brunch features lovely sweets like rhubarb coffee cake and black-and-white bombolini. The full lunch menu, with its pastas, pretty salads, and excellent burger, is available too. And on Mother’s Day, moms can take home free flowers.
Caruso’s Grocery
11820 Trade St., North Bethesda
The Pike & Rose location of this Italian American restaurant has a couple advantages over the Capitol Hill original—it’s bigger, so it’s easier to get a table, and it serves a really good brunch. Celebrate with blood-orange mimosas, lemon/ricotta pancakes, and the chicken tenders from the kids menu. Or just call it a day with a big plate of Alfredo.
Chai Pani
1325 Fifth St., NE
This color-blasted Union Market hotspot feels like a celebration any day of the year. Come here thinking “lunch,” more than “brunch,” and load up your table with Indian street snacks that have a whiff of the American south (the restaurant is an Asheville transplant): crunchy okra fries with lime, a Kashmiri fried chicken sandwich, and tater tots with curry leaves and green chili. Get your pancake fix with the cheesy, chili-studded uttapam.
Ellie Bird
125 Founders Ave., Falls Church
Unwind over kimchi bloodies, fruity cocktails, and lovely pastries at Carey and Yuan Tang’s fun Falls Church dining room. Bonus: unlimited pancakes for $5, with the purchase of an entree. (I like the dramatically presented tornado omelet.)
I Egg You
517 Eighth St., SE
If breakfast in bed is on the agenda, order takeout or delivery from this Barracks Row brunch cafe from the team behind Anju and Chiko. The milk bread egg sandwiches that made the place a smash hit during its days as a pandemic pop-up are all here. Or, do it up with blueberry-muffin bread pudding or a savory egg custard gilded with Petrossian caviar.
Joon
8045 Leesburg Pike, Vienna
The swank Persian dining room in Tysons does it up on the weekends. Think mimosa towers, all you can eat deals ($55 per person), kebabs, and a bunch of creative a la carte choices, from focaccia French toast to Persian-accented smash burgers. A $45 add-on option includes flowers, a cocktail, and Persian love cake.
Maydan
1346 Florida Ave., NW
I know I said no prix-fixes, but I’ll make an exception for this Middle Eastern destination, which serves brunch on Sundays. It’s worth splurging on the family-style Tawle menu—a feast of dips, kebabs, salads, and more—for $75 a person. There’s also an a la carte menu with braised-lamb hash and nutty, honey-soaked halloumi (my must-get).
My Little Chamomile
3210 Grace St., NW
The maternal influence is strong at Cagla Onal’s Turkish/Mediterranean restaurant in Georgetown—even when it comes to the place’s name (Onal’s mother called her “my little yellow chamomile” when she was a teen). But especially when it comes to the satisfyingly homey food. At brunch, that means lavash with tomatoes, eggs, and feta; bread slathered with butter and housemade jam; and the flourless chocolate cake that won Onal so many fans at her other spot, Green Almond Pantry.
Neutral Ground
6641 Old Dominion Dr., McLean
Live jazz, a pretty Palm Beach-y room, and a roving cocktail cart make David Guas’s McLean spot a prime candidate for a festive brunch. The menu showcases NoLa classics like eggs sardou, grillades and grits, and beignets, and also makes room for cured-salmon tostadas and a spiffy avocado toast.
The Occidental
1475 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
If it’s nice out, there are few prettier restaurant patios in the city than the one outside this chic dining room near the White House. Snag an umbrella-topped table for icy martinis, an ace French dip and tuna tartare, and lovely layer cakes.
Pascual
732 Maryland Ave., NE
This plant-filled Mexican destination restaurant is still a tough table to get. But it might be a little easier at its new Sunday brunch, which features chilaquiles, sopes, smoked-Arctic-char tostadas, and plenty of easy-drinking cocktails.
Pearl Dive Oyster Palace
1612 14th St., NW
Jeff Black’s folksy 14th Street hangout has long been one of my weekend go-tos. I could basically make a morning out of oysters and bloodies here, but there are more substantial pleasures, too: a Louisiana-inspired Benedict with crawfish and Tasso ham, tasty fried shrimp or catfish po’boys, and excellent clam chowder.
2Fifty
4700 Riverdale Rd., Riverdale Park; 414 K St., NW
Meatfests: why don’t more restaurants get that they’re not just for Father’s Day? Happily, DC’s best barbecue operation is offering a few take-home Mother’s Day packages ranging from $95 (pork ribs, sausages, and sides) to $350 (an entire prime brisket, plus sausages and sides). Order here by May 6.
This post has been updated from an earlier version.
Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.
